Well, when it comes to potential AL East playoff opponents, the majority want nothing to do with the New York Yankees.
For this week’s Rays Reacts poll, I asked which AL East team you least wanted to face, and the result was clear. Fifty-four percent of respondents said they do not want to face the Yankees in the postseason among the AL East options.
The result tracks with my own sentiments, which are familiar mix of respect, rivalry fatigue, and hard-earned wariness, although the numbers this season
offer some encouraging context: The Rays currently lead the season series against the Yankees 6-3 (all in the first half), including an early-season sweep at the Trop.
Yet the Yankees remain the Yankees, capable of explosive offense, deep pitching, and that perennial October pedigree that has frustrated Rays fans for years. Even a favorable regular-season mark doesn’t fully erase the memory of high-stakes series that have gone the other way in the past.
Compare that to the other AL East clubs. Against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Rays have been dominant at 9-4. The Blue Jays have been the division’s soft underbelly this year, and the Rays have not missed their opportunities against the Canadians.
Against the Boston Red Sox, the season series sits even at 5-5, and the matchups have competitive and sometimes frustrating, but not nearly as strong of a problem with visiting fans as the Yankees pose at the Trop.
With the Rays sitting atop the AL East at 87-59 and the Yankees three games back at 84-62, the division race remains very much alive. The Red Sox at 80-67 are solidly in wild card contention, while the Blue Jays at 73-74 trail the playoffs by one game back.
Playoff matchups are never guaranteed: seeding, wild-card results, and the whims of October baseball will decide who lines up against whom. But if the Rays do clinch the East and earn a first-round bye or favorable bracket, the fan preference is unmistakable.
Given the current standings and remaining schedule, which includes a late September series in the Bronx, the preference may end up being tested one way or another. And when playoff time comes, you are welcome to put your money where your vote is with our friends at FanDuel, who sponsored this post.
For now, the message from the poll is simple: give us the Blue Jays or even the Red Sox. Keep the Yankees on the other side of the bracket, if possible.
Go Rays!
